JPS61237355A - Electron microscopic image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the exposing amount of electron beam of electron microscope thus to reduce damage of sample by accumulation recording the electron microscopic images onto a two-dimensional sensor having high sensibility such as accumulative fluorescent sheet. CONSTITUTION:When recording an electron microscopic images onto an accumulative fluorescent sheet 11, a feeding magazine 12 is contained in the sensor feeding section 13 while an empty containing magazine 15 is contained in the sensor receiving section 16. Since an electron beam 2 will impinge against a fluorescent screen 31 to produce fluorescent light, an enlarged dispersion image 8a born on the electron beam 2 is observed through an observation window 32 to determine the pint, the magnification and the view range thereafter the shutter 30 and the fluorescent screen 31 are leaped up to such position as never shield the electron beam 2 through lever operation. Consequently, the electron beam 2 will arrive to the accumulative fluorescent sheet 11 set at the recording section 14 thus to accumulation record the electron beam energy bearing the enlarged dispersion image 8b onto the sheet 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of the Invention) The present invention relates to an apparatus for recording electron microscope images, and more particularly, to an apparatus for recording electron microscope images with high sensitivity and for enabling various image processing using electrical signals. This invention relates to an electron microscope image recording device that can be reproduced.

(Technical Background and Prior Art of the Invention) Conventionally, electron microscopes have been known that obtain an enlarged image of a sample by refracting an electron beam transmitted through a sample using an electric or magnetic field. As is well known, in this electron microscope, an electron beam transmitted through the sample forms a diffraction pattern of the sample on the back focal plane of the objective lens, and the diffraction rays interfere again to form an enlarged image of the sample. It has become.

Therefore, if the enlarged image is projected by the projection lens, an enlarged image (scattered image) of the sample will be observed, and if the back focal plane is projected, the diffraction pattern of the enlarged sample will be observed. If an intermediate lens is placed between the objective lens and the projection lens, the focal length of this intermediate lens can be adjusted.
A magnified image (scattered image) or a diffraction pattern as described above is optionally obtained.

In order to observe the enlarged image or diffraction pattern (hereinafter collectively referred to as a transmission electron beam image) formed as described above, conventionally, a photographic film is generally placed on the imaging surface of a projection lens and the transmission electron beam is The image was exposed to light, or an image intensifier was installed to amplify and project the transmitted electron beam image. However, photographic film has the drawbacks of low sensitivity to electron beams and cumbersome development processing.On the other hand, when using an image intensifier, the problem is that the sharpness of the image is low and the image is easily distorted. There is.

Furthermore, for the above-mentioned transmission electron beam images, gradation processing, frequency emphasis processing, density processing,
Image processing such as subtraction processing and addition processing, three-dimensional image reconstruction using Fourier analysis, image analysis for image binarization and particle size measurement, and diffraction pattern processing (crystal information analysis, (elucidation of lattice constants, dislocations, lattice defects, etc.), but conventionally in such cases, the microscopic image obtained by developing photographic film was read with a microphotometer and converted into electrical signals. The conventional method involves the complicated work of converting the electrical signal, for example, A/D converting the electrical signal, and then processing it with a computer.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and makes it possible to record and reproduce electron microscope images with high sensitivity and high image quality, and moreover, supports the microscope image during image reproduction. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electron microscope image recording device that can record an electron microscope image so that an electric signal can be directly obtained.

(Structure of the Invention) The electron microscope image recording device of the present invention includes: a film supply unit that stores photographic film exposed to electron beams; a film storage unit that stores the exposed photographic film; and electron beam energy. a sensor supply section that accommodates a two-dimensional sensor that accumulates the above-mentioned information; a sensor receiving section that accommodates the two-dimensional sensor that has accumulated the above-mentioned information; a recording section for irradiating the film or sensor with the electron beam that has passed through the sample; a film supply means for supplying the photographic film stored in the film supply section to the recording section; film feeding means for taking out the photographic film after irradiation from the recording section and feeding it to the film storage section; sensor supplying means for feeding the two-dimensional sensor stored in the sensor supply section to the recording section; , in the recording section 2
After the dimensional sensor is irradiated with an electron beam, the two-dimensional sensor is taken out from the recording section and sent out to the sensor receiving section.

The two-dimensional sensor described above temporarily stores at least a portion of the energy when exposed to an electron beam, and when external stimulation is applied later, at least a portion of the stored energy is transferred to light, electricity, etc. It consists of a material that has the ability to emit in a detectable form.

Specifically, as the above-mentioned two-dimensional sensor, for example, JP-A-55
-12429, 55-i 16340, 55-
No. 163472, No. 56-11395, No. 56-10
The stimulable phosphor sheet disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4645 and the like can be particularly preferably used.

In other words, when a certain type of phosphor is irradiated with radiation such as an electron beam, part of the energy of this radiation is accumulated in the phosphor, and then when the phosphor is irradiated with excitation light such as visible light, Depending on the accumulated energy, the phosphor emits light <a
(extinction). A phosphor that exhibits these properties is called a stimulable phosphor, and a stimulable phosphor sheet is a sheet-like recording medium made of the above-mentioned stimulable phosphor, and generally consists of a support and a stimulable phosphor. It consists of a stimulable phosphor layer laminated on a support. The stimulable phosphor layer is formed by dispersing the stimulable phosphor in a suitable binder, and if the stimulable phosphor layer is self-supporting, it will itself contain the stimulable phosphor. It can be used as a light sheet. An example of the stimulable phosphor for forming this stimulable phosphor sheet is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 59-2146.
It is described in detail in the specification of No. 80.

In addition, as the above-mentioned two-dimensional sensor, for example,
47719, 55-47720, etc. can also be used. This thermal phosphor sheet is a sheet-like recording medium made of a phosphor (thermal phosphor) that emits accumulated radiation energy mainly through the action of heat as thermal fluorescence.

(Function) If a two-dimensional sensor such as the above-mentioned stimulable phosphor sheet or thermal phosphor sheet is placed on the imaging surface of an electron microscope, and an electron microscope image formed by a transmitted electron beam is stored and recorded on the sensor. If this sensor is scanned with excitation light such as visible light or swept and heated to generate fluorescence, and this fluorescence is read photoelectrically, an electrical signal corresponding to a transmitted electron beam image can be obtained. Using the electrical image signal obtained in this way, it is possible to display an electron microscope image on a display such as a CRT, or it can be permanently recorded as a hard copy. , it can also be stored in a storage medium such as a magnetic disk. Using the above-mentioned electrical image signals, it becomes extremely easy to perform image processing such as gradation processing and frequency emphasis processing on electron microscope images, as well as refraction pattern processing and three-dimensional image reconstruction as described above. Image analysis such as configuration and image binarization can also be performed much more easily and quickly than in the past by inputting the above-mentioned electrical signals into a computer.

The apparatus of the present invention uses a film supply section and a film storage section for storing photographic film, as well as a film supply means and a film delivery means, to record an electron microscope image on photographic film as has been conventionally done. It can also be exposed and recorded.

As already mentioned, photographic film has problems in terms of sensitivity and the like, but on the other hand, compared to the two-dimensional sensor described above, it is possible to record electron microscopic M images with higher resolution. Therefore, if it is desired to reproduce an electron microscope image with particularly good resolution, the electron microscope image may be recorded on this photographic film.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows an electron microscope image recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. Mirror body 1 of electron microscope 1
a includes an electron gun 3 that emits an electron beam 2 at a uniform speed; at least one focusing lens 4 made of a magnetic lens, an electrostatic lens, etc. that focuses the electron beam 2 onto a sample surface; and a sample stage 5;
It includes an objective lens 6 similar to the focusing lens 4 and a projection lens 7. The electron beam 2 transmitted through the sample 8 placed on the sample stage 5 is refracted by the objective lens 6 to form an enlarged scattered image 8a of the sample 8. This expanded scattering (f
118a is projected onto the imaging plane 9 by the projection lens 7 (8b in the figure).

An electron microscope image recording device 10 according to the present invention is arranged below the mirror body 1a of the electron microscope. This electron microscope image recording device 10 includes, on the left side in the figure, a sensor supply section 13 in which a supply magazine 12 containing a large number of stimulable phosphor sheets 11 as a two-dimensional sensor is stored, and this sensor supply section. The supply magazine 12 is arranged below the supply magazine 13.
A sensor receiving section 1 that stores a receiving magazine 15 similar to the above.
6 and further formed to include the image forming surface 9; this recording section 14 and the sensor supply section 1;
3 and an erasing light 11i17 arranged between the two.

The stimulable phosphor sheets 11 in the supply magazine 12 mounted on the sensor supply unit 13 are taken out one by one from the magazine 12 by, for example, a sheet supply arm 20 that grips the ends of the sheets 11. , the sheet is sent between the two guide plates 21, and the sheet is fed between the sheet supply roller 22 and the supply/discharge roller 23.
．． The data is sent to the recording section 14 by 28a and 28b. In addition, as described above, the recording unit 14
The stimulable phosphor sheet 11 sent to the
Rotate a and 28b in the opposite direction to the above case,
Then, by moving the guide plate 24 to the position indicated by the broken line in FIG.
5 between two guide plates 26, and is dropped into the receiving magazine 15 of the sensor receiving section 16 by a sheet feeding arm 27 similar to the sheet feeding arm 20. ing.

Further, the electron microscope image recording apparatus 10 includes a film supply section 53 on the right side of the figure in which a supply magazine 52 containing a large number of photographic films 51 conventionally used for recording electron microscope images is housed; It has a film storage section 56 which is disposed below the film supply section 53 and stores a storage magazine 55 similar to the supply magazine 52 described above.

Supply magazine 5 attached to the film supply section 53
The photographic films 51 in the magazine 52 are taken out one by one from the magazine 52 by a film supply arm 60 similar to the sheet supply arm 20, for example, and sent between two guide plates 61, and transferred to a film supply roller 62. The paper is sent to the recording section 14 by supply/discharge rollers 63.28b and 28a. Further, the photographic film 51 sent to the recording section 14 as described above is transferred to the feeding/discharging roller 2.
8a and 28b in the opposite direction to that in the above case, and move the guide plate 64 to the position indicated by the broken line in FIG.
A film delivery arm 67 similar to the sheet delivery arm 27 is sent between two guide plates 66 via the sheet delivery arm 27.
This allows the film to be dropped into the storage magazine 55 of the film storage section 56.

A shutter 30 and a fluorescent screen 31, each of which is not shown, are provided between the mirror body 1a and the recording unit 14, respectively, and are rotatable in six directions indicated by arrows in the figure. It is designed to be rotated by a lever. Further, above the screen 31, an observation window 32 made of lead glass, for example, is provided on the peripheral wall of the mirror body 1a.

The inside of the mirror body 1a and the inside of the electron microscope image recording device 10 are maintained in a vacuum state by a known exhaust device while the electron microscope is in operation. A known blocking member (not shown) is provided between the supply magazine 12 or 52 by blocking the inside of the mirror body 1a and the inside of the electron microscope image recording device 10 from each other. Even if the vacuum inside the electron microscope image recording apparatus 10 is broken when the storage magazine 15 or 55 is attached and the receiving magazine 15 or 55 is taken out, the inside of the mirror body 1a can be maintained in a vacuum state.

When recording an electron microscope image on the stimulable phosphor sheet 11, a supply magazine 12 containing a large number of stimulable phosphor sheets 11 is stored in the sensor supply section 13, and a sensor receiving section 16 is stored. An empty receiving magazine 15 is stored inside. The shutter 30 and the fluorescent screen 31 are set at a position where they block the electron beam 2 (horizontal position in the figure).

Subsequently, the sheet supply arm 20, sheet supply roller 22, and supply/discharge rollers 23.28a, 28b described above,
Lowermost stimulable phosphor sheet 1 in supply magazine 12
1 is sent to the recording section 14. When the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is fed in this manner, the erasing light source 17 is turned on,
The sheet 11 undergoes erasure of residual radiation energy.

The supply/discharge rollers 28a and 28b are the stimulable phosphor sheet 1.
1 is located on the image forming surface 9, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is held at this position.

Since the electron beam 2 hits the fluorescent screen 31 and generates fluorescence, an enlarged scattered image 8a carried by the electron beam 2 is observed through the observation window 32. After observing the fluorescent screen 31 in this manner and determining the focus, magnification and field of view of the enlarged scattering image 8a, the shutter 30 and the fluorescent screen 31 are operated by operating the aforementioned lever.
It can be flipped up to a position where it does not block the electron beam 2. In this way, the electron beam 2 reaches the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 set in the recording section 14, and the electron beam energy carrying the enlarged scattered image 8b is accumulated and recorded on the sheet 11.

After opening the shutter 30 and performing electron beam exposure as described above, the shutter 30 is closed. Then, the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 on which the enlarged scattered image 8b has been accumulated and recorded is transferred to the feed/discharge rollers 23, 28a, 28b, and the sheet feed roller 25.
The sheet is stored in the receiving magazine 15 by the sheet sending arm 27.

When the above-mentioned operation is repeated, the stimulable phosphor sheets 11 on which electron microscope images have been recorded are all stored in the receiving magazine 15. When the series of electron microscope image recording is completed, the receiving magazine 15 is taken out from the sensor receiving section 16, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is subjected to electron microscope image reading.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an image reading device for reading this electron microscope M image. In this device, the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is placed on a sheet conveying means 70 consisting of, for example, an endless belt.

Then, an excitation light beam 72 emitted from an excitation light source 71 such as a He-Ne laser tube is deflected by an optical deflector 73 such as a galvanometer mirror, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is scanned in the direction of arrow X by the beam 72. (main scan).

At the same time, the sheet conveying means 10 moves the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 in the direction of arrow Y, which is substantially perpendicular to the main scanning direction (sub-scanning).

Thereby, the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is irradiated with the excitation light beam 72 over its entire surface. By this excitation light irradiation, the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 emits stimulated luminescence light 74 at a level corresponding to the stored and recorded electron beam energy.

This stimulated luminescence light 74 enters into the light collector 75 from the incident end face 75a of the light collector 75, travels through the light collector 75 by repeating total reflection, and exits from the exit end face 75b. The light is received by a photodetector 76 such as a photomultiplier connected to 75b, and the amount of the stimulated luminescence light 74 is read photoelectrically. The electrical signal output from the photodetector 76 indicates the level of the electron beam energy, and this electrical signal is sent to an image processing circuit 77 where necessary image processing is performed, and then input to an image reproduction device 78. be done. This image reproducing device 78 may be a display such as a CRT, or a recording device that performs optical scanning recording on a photosensitive film. By outputting an image using an electric signal corresponding to the amount of stimulated luminescence light in this manner, the expanded scattering @8b carried by the stimulated luminescence light 14 is reproduced.

On the other hand, when recording an electron microscope image on the photographic film 51, a supply magazine 52 containing a large number of photographic films 51 is stored in the film supply section 53, and an empty tray is stored in the film storage section 56. A delivery magazine 55 is stored. Then, in the same manner as in the case of recording on the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 described above, the photographic film 51 is sent to the recording section 14, and the feeding/discharging rollers 28a and 28b are stopped to move the film 51 onto the image forming surface 9. Hold.

Exposure of the photographic film 51 to electron beams is performed in the same manner as in the case of recording on the stimulable phosphor sheet 11, and the exposed photographic film 51 is exposed to the feed/discharge rollers 28a128b,
63, the film is stored in the receiving magazine 55 by the film delivery roller 65 and the film delivery arm 67.

A series of electronics! When mirror image recording is completed, the receiving magazine 55 is taken out from the film receiving section 56, and the film 51 is processed by known photographic methods including development, and a hard copy (photograph) of the enlarged scattering 18b is made. image) is obtained.

In the above, image reading of the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is performed by
It may also be carried out in a vacuum system. For example, between the recording section 14 and the sensor receiving section 15, the stimulable phosphor sheet may be scanned with excitation light to receive stimulated luminescence light. For more details, reference may be made to the description in Japanese Patent Application No. 59-150175.

Although the embodiment of recording the enlarged scattering image 8b of the sample 8 using a transmitted electron beam has been described above, the apparatus of the present invention can also record the aforementioned diffraction pattern of the sample. FIG. 3 shows how the diffraction pattern 8C of the sample 8 is recorded. In this embodiment, the electron microscope 1i100 is
An intermediate lens 102 is provided between the objective lens 6 and the projection lens 7.
The diffraction pattern 8C of the sample 8 formed on the post-thermal plane of the objective lens 7 is reflected onto the imaging plane 9 by the intermediate lens 102 and the projection lens 7, which are focused on the post-thermal plane. It is enlarged and projected. In this case as well, a stimulable phosphor sheet 11 as a two-dimensional sensor is provided on the image forming surface 9.
Alternatively, if a photographic film 51 is placed, the sheet 11
Alternatively, an enlarged image of the diffraction pattern 8C generated by the transmitted electrons 112 is stored and recorded on the film 51 or exposed. The diffraction pattern 8C accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 can be read in exactly the same manner as explained in FIG. 2, and the read image can be displayed on a CRT or
Or you can play it as a hard copy. Also, the diffraction pattern 8 exposed on the photographic film 51
C is also visualized by the photographic processing described above.

Note that when a thermal phosphor sheet is used instead of the stimulable phosphor sheet described above, in order to release the stored energy from this sheet by heating, a heating source that emits heat rays, such as a CO2 laser, is used. It is sufficient to scan the thermal phosphor sheet with this hot wire, and for that purpose, for example,
The description in Publication No.-47720 etc. may be referred to.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above in detail, the electron microscope imaging device of the present invention is capable of accumulating and recording electron microscope images on a highly sensitive two-dimensional sensor such as a stimulable phosphor sheet. It becomes possible to record images with high sensitivity, and therefore the amount of electron beam exposure of the electron microscope can be reduced, and damage to the sample can be reduced.

In addition, since the electron microscope image is recorded on the two-dimensional sensor as described above, the electron microscope image is directly read as an electrical signal when reading the image, and therefore the electron microscope image is subjected to image processing such as gradation processing and frequency emphasis processing. In addition, image analysis such as processing of diffraction patterns, reconstruction of three-dimensional images, and binarization of images as described above can be performed using conventional methods by inputting the electrical signals to a computer. It can be done much easier and faster than before.

Furthermore, the two-dimensional sensor that accumulates and records electron microscope images is
Since it can be reused by performing treatments such as light irradiation and heating, the present invention allows electron microscopic images to be recorded more economically than when conventional silver halide photographic systems are employed.

Furthermore, in addition to recording electron microscope images on the two-dimensional sensor as described above, the apparatus of the present invention can also record electron microscope images on photographic film. Electron microscopic images can be recorded on photographic film as appropriate, and can be used for a wide range of purposes depending on the purpose.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an apparatus for reading an image from a stimulable phosphor sheet on which an electron microscope image has been recorded by the apparatus of the present invention. , FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another example of an electron microscope combined with the apparatus of the present invention. 1.100...Electron microscope 12...Electron beam 9...Imaging surface of electron microscope 10...Electron microscope image recording device 11...Storage phosphor sheet 12.52...Supply Magazine 13...Sensor supply section 14...Recording section 15.55...Receiving magazine 16...Sensor receiving section 20...Sheet supply arm 22...Sheet supply roller 23.28a , 28b, 63... Supply/discharge port 25... Sheet delivery roller 27... Sheet delivery arm 51... Photographic film 53... Film supply section 56... Film storage section 60 ...Film supply arm 62...Film supply roller 65...Film delivery roller 67...Film delivery arm Fig. 2

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A film supply unit that stores photographic film exposed to electron beams; a film storage unit that stores the exposed photographic film; a sensor supply unit that stores a two-dimensional sensor that stores electron beam energy; a sensor storage section that stores the two-dimensional sensor that has been stored; a recording section that holds the photographic film or the two-dimensional sensor on the imaging surface of the electron microscope and irradiates the film or sensor with the electron beam that has passed through the sample; , a film supply means for supplying the photographic film stored in the film supply section to the recording section; after the photographic film is irradiated with an electron beam in the recording section, the photographic film is taken out from the recording section; A film feeding device feeding the two-dimensional sensor stored in the sensor feeding portion to the recording portion; and a sensor feeding device feeding the two-dimensional sensor to the recording portion in the recording portion. An electron microscope image recording apparatus comprising a sensor sending means for taking out the two-dimensional sensor from the recording section and sending it out to the sensor receiving section. (2) The electron microscope image recording device according to claim 1, wherein a stimulable phosphor sheet is used as the two-dimensional sensor.